Sirius Resources Takes Advantage of Australian Sun to Power a Nickel Mine

With the costs of solar energy heading south, mining operations are beginning to pay a lot more attention to this clean power technology. An Australian mining company, Sirius Resources, made the decision to install a solar/diesel power station for its Nova nickel mine in Fraser Range, Western Australia. Almost 50% of the power demand there will be provided during peak daylight hours.

The solar panels will produce approximately 12.5 million kilowatt-hours per year and are expected to save the transport and consumption of approximately 3 million liters of diesel annually. Germany's Solea AG has partnered with Zenith Pacific for the project. The Nova Nickel Project includes an underground mining operation facility, as well as a surface processing plant.

The International Energy Agency confirms that the establishment and wide-spread introduction of low-cost, bountiful and environmentally friendly solar energy technology constitutes a long-lasting asset to our planet. Being inexhaustible and mostly an import-independent resource, the sun, as a source of energy, will improve sustainability, scale down pollution levels and mitigate global warming issues.

Mark Bennett, Sirius' Managing Director, has expressed his contentment with utilizing green technologies at a mine site, serving as a proof that the mining industry is not shying away from its environmental responsibilities.

Sirius is managed by professional explorers who also discovered the Thunderbox gold mine and the Waterloo, Cosmos and Lounge Lizard nickel mines. Sirius Resources is currently focusing on the development of the Nova nickel mine, 100% owned by the company.

Despite a less than stellar export performance in 2014, Australia continues to be one of the leaders in the global nickel ore and concentrate trade. In 2014, Australia exported 391 thousand tonnes of nickel ores and concentrates totaling 715 million USD, 23% under the previous year. Its primary trading partner was China, where it supplied 87% of its total nickel ore and concentrate exports in value terms, accounting for 14% of China's total imports.

From 2007 to 2014, Australia was a net exporter of nickel ores and concentrates. Over this period, exports consistently exceeded imports in value terms. However, in physical terms the difference fluctuated without changes in export prices.

The Philippines and Zimbabwe were among the other main global suppliers of nickel ores and concentrates in 2014. The fastest growing exporters from 2007 to 2014 were Brazil (+88% per year) and the Philippines (+22% per year). The Philippines, by virtue of its sustained growth, significantly strengthened its position in the global export structure.

Australia's sole trading partners in 2014 were China, Brazil, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea, with a combined 100% share of Australia's nickel ore and concentrate exports. From 2007-2014, the share of China increased significantly (+56 percentage points).